Always a good memory with Super Junior — from Super Show 2, and now, Super Show 9 in Manila.

These days, it seems a K-Pop act is in the country every weekend. This wasn’t always the case. The road to K-Pop artists seeing the Philippines as a tour destination is long, and Super Junior, without question, paved the way.

Twelve years after they first brought Super Show 2 to Manila, the group returned to the SM Mall of Asia Arena for two days of Super Show 9: Road, taking their rightful throne as kings of the genre.

Super Junior led the pack of K-Pop groups that broke through mainstream Philippine media in the late 2000s. When virality was more novelty than the norm, their earworm of a track “Sorry, Sorry” was heard all over the world in 2009, thanks to a dance number by the famed Cebu Dancing Inmates. In 2012, members Siwon and Donghae became the first Korean ambassadors to endorse a local brand, and ELFs would make the trip to Guadalupe for a glimpse of their gigantic ad.

The chemistry between Super Junior and ELFs is unmatched. Super Junior are industry veterans, having debuted in 2005. The fandom has become veteran concert-goers as well. Since Super Show 2, all Super Show installments have come to the Philippines with the exception of Super Show 4 and 6. The crowd may seem laid-back, but as soon as the lights are off, these K-Pop titas and titos go wild.

The K-Pop royalty that they are, they fittingly opened the night donning Renaissance-era suits for “Burn the Floor”, “The Crown”, “Super”, and “Mr. Simple”. The setlist was divided into four thematic segments evoking a range of emotions, starting with dark and heavy tracks and ending with fun, upbeat dance themes. Old-time favorites like “Sorry, Sorry”, “Bonamana”, and “Mr. Simple” were of course on the list, as well as “Callin’” which was released this February.

Super Junior gave Filipino fans the privilege of being the first in the world to hear “Celebrate” and “White Love” from their freshly released The Road: Celebration album. The music video for the title track “Celebrate” was released just the day prior. Even with the announcement of the performance being short notice, ELFs came through with sapphire blue hand banners that will hopefully appear on the live performance video the label is putting together.

Widely recognized as among the funniest idols, Super Junior brought their comedic chops for a special segment where they dressed up head-to-toe as Classical composers competing to be recognized as the God of Music. After a wildly-entertaining video of them deep into their characters, they rose to the stage to perform operatic versions of “SPY”, “Rokkugo”, and “Mamacita”. Humor and banter have always been Super Junior’s most charming quality, and it shines through even on tape.

The stage layout was generous, and the group was an arm’s reach away from the standing and seated VIP sections. Donghae in particular took time to borrow a few phones for selfies and high-fived as many as he could on the extended stages.

This concert did not come without challenges. Super Show 9 was originally scheduled for August 6 this year but had to be postponed after the death of Eunhyuk’s father and Siwon’s CoViD-19 diagnosis. On the afternoon of the original date, Label SJ announced that the concert was postponed, but that the members still wanted to greet the fans. With utmost humility, the group stepped onstage to apologize to a tearful crowd. On that day, a promise was made: Super Junior will return at a better time, and ELFs will cheer for them as loud as they can.

For how melancholic the 2022 schedule became, this do-over turned it around. Promises were fulfilled on both ends. Eunhyuk confessed he was worried about how things would turn out and was apologetic about the concert cancellation. The audience responded with warm cheers of “it’s okay” and chants of his name.

This is their last Super Show for the year. They mused about how Filipino ELFs are Christmas presents to them, and how the show has become their early Christmas present for fans as well. By the end, a promise to come back soon was signed and sealed once again.

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Super Show 9: Road in Manila is presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour. Special thanks to PULP Live World and Happee Hour for the invite to the event.

Words by Mar